Shatrughan Sinha: Mamata is my only leader, Abhishek among Parliament's best orators
Synopsis
Even as defections hollow out the Trinamool Congress, MP Shatrughan Sinha has gone on record calling Mamata Banerjee his 'only leader' — crediting a personal phone call during his 2019 defeat as the moment that sealed his loyalty. His defence of Abhishek Banerjee and his praise for Prashant Kishor's Bankipur win make this one of the more candid political interviews of the season.
Key Takeaways
MP Shatrughan Sinha declared Mamata Banerjee his 'only leader', citing her personal support after his 2019 Patna election defeat.
Sinha credited Banerjee for announcing his candidacy for the Asansol parliamentary bypoll without prior consultation; he won by a record margin.
He called Abhishek Banerjee 'one of the best orators in Parliament', comparing him to Rahul Gandhi and Sanjay Singh .
Sinha attributed rebel leaders' complaints against Abhishek to 'panic and frustration' following the TMC's Bengal Assembly poll setback.
He hailed Prashant Kishor's Bankipur bypoll victory as 'people's power' and rejected the 'outsider' label applied to Kishor.
Sinha called student protest demands 'justified', citing repeated examination paper leaks unaddressed by the government.
Member of Parliament Shatrughan Sinha has reaffirmed his unwavering loyalty to Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, calling her his 'only leader' even as a wave of defections continues to rock the party. In an exclusive interview, Sinha also praised TMC General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee as 'one of the best orators in Parliament' and hailed Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor's landslide victory in the Bankipur Assembly bypoll in Bihar.
Why Sinha Stands by Mamata Banerjee
Sinha traced his loyalty to a personal act of solidarity during one of his lowest political moments. When he lost the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Patna as a Congress candidate, he said no one reached out — except Mamata Banerjee, who called him personally. 'It showed the trust she had in me,' he said.
That trust translated into action when Banerjee announced his name for the Asansol parliamentary bypoll — triggered by Babul Supriyo's resignation from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — without even consulting him first. 'I had never even visited Asansol before,' Sinha acknowledged, noting that he had spent nearly 30 years as a star campaigner for the BJP across the country. He went on to win by a record margin.
Reflecting on the current turbulence within the TMC, Sinha noted that the party's vote share in the recent Bengal Assembly election fell by only 3–4 per cent despite the alleged removal of around 60–65 lakh names from electoral rolls due to reported discrepancies — a detail he cited as evidence of Banerjee's enduring ground connect. 'Many run away when a boat starts to sink,' he said, referring to the wave of defections.
On Abhishek Banerjee and the Rebel Faction
While Sinha was clear that Abhishek Banerjee is not his leader — 'My leader is only Mamata Banerjee, and no one else' — he was equally emphatic in defending the TMC General Secretary's capabilities. 'Abhishek Banerjee is a very capable person, a good human being and a strong leader,' he said, comparing his oratory to that of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh.
Sinha dismissed the rebel leaders' complaints against Abhishek as a 'panic reaction' that surfaced roughly a month after the TMC's Assembly poll setback. He pointed out that the same leaders who are now critical of Abhishek were, until recently, operating under his organisational direction. He also noted that criticism of political consultancy firm I-PAC followed, though Kishor had already parted ways with the organisation by then.
Prashant Kishor's Bankipur Win: A Validation, Says Sinha
Sinha expressed admiration for Kishor's victory in the Bankipur bypoll, calling it a vindication of the principle that 'if good people are not ready to enter into politics, they should be ready to be governed by bad people' — a mantra he said has guided his own political career.
He pushed back against the 'outsider' label applied to Kishor, drawing a parallel with his own Asansol candidacy and citing precedents including former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi contesting from Rae Bareli, former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj from Karnataka, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi contesting from Varanasi rather than his home state of Gujarat. 'This is people's power,' Sinha said of Kishor's win against the BJP, which had claimed dominance over the seat.
Student Protests and Expectations from West Bengal's BJP Government
On the student agitations — first at Jantar Mantar in Delhi and now in Jharkhand — Sinha said the demands are 'justified' and attributed the unrest to repeated examination paper leaks that the government has failed to prevent despite repeated assurances.
Turning to West Bengal, Sinha said he expects Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee to prioritise development, rule of law, and communal harmony — particularly in Asansol, which he described as 'a city of brotherhood where people of all religions live together with mutual respect.'
With TMC navigating its most fractious internal moment in years, Sinha's public stand offers the party a measure of continuity — and Mamata Banerjee a seasoned voice of support from outside Bengal's political establishment.
Point of View
Abhishek is merely a capable colleague. That framing quietly preserves Sinha's independence while offering the TMC chief maximum political cover. His rehabilitation of Abhishek Banerjee, at a moment when rebel leaders are targeting the General Secretary most sharply, is a calculated intervention. The Prashant Kishor endorsement is equally telling: Sinha, a BJP veteran of three decades, is now openly cheering a man whose Bankipur win embarrassed the party he once campaigned for. The throughline is a politician who has consistently backed whoever stood by him — and is now leveraging that reputation as a moral currency in a fractured opposition landscape.
NationPress
7 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Shatrughan Sinha support Mamata Banerjee despite TMC defections?
Sinha has said that Mamata Banerjee was the only leader who personally called him after his 2019 Patna election defeat, and later announced his candidacy for the Asansol parliamentary bypoll without prior consultation. He credits this personal loyalty as the reason he continues to stand by her even as others have left the party.
What did Shatrughan Sinha say about Abhishek Banerjee?
Sinha said Abhishek Banerjee is 'one of the best orators in Parliament', comparing him to Rahul Gandhi and Sanjay Singh. He was clear, however, that Abhishek is not his leader — that distinction belongs solely to Mamata Banerjee.
How did Shatrughan Sinha react to Prashant Kishor's Bankipur bypoll victory?
Sinha praised Kishor's win as 'people's power' and rejected the 'outsider' label applied to him, drawing parallels with Indira Gandhi contesting from Rae Bareli and PM Modi from Varanasi. He called Kishor 'educated, mature and capable'.
What is Sinha's view on the student protests at Jantar Mantar and Jharkhand?
Sinha said the students' demands are 'justified', attributing the agitations to repeated examination paper leaks that the government has failed to address despite repeated assurances.
What does Shatrughan Sinha expect from West Bengal's BJP government?
Sinha said he expects Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee to focus on development, rule of law, and communal harmony — particularly in Asansol, which he described as a city of brotherhood.
